How High School Counseling Departments Relate to Student College Preparation Behaviors and Institutional Preferences

• In Event: Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Counseling Psychology Poster Session 2

Abstract

High school counselors are often tasked with myriad roles and responsibilities, including leading the college preparation process for students. Specifically, This study explores how three aspects of counselors’ programming (the percent of time spent on precollege planning; whether preparing for college is the department’s primary goal; and whether students speak with a counselor about college) is related to students’ college preparation activities. Results indicate that fewer ninth grade students, as compared to eleventh grade students, interact with their counselors about college and that counselors may be less influential for younger students. As a contrast, older students appear to be more affected by various aspects of schools’ counseling departments, as counseling is more predictive of older students’ college preparation activities.

Author

• Chenoa S. Woods, Florida State University